Libertarian Party of New York called out Governor Hochul for standing firm on a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, reiterating bodily autonomy.

ALBANY, NY, UNITED STATES, September 27, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Governor Kathy Hochul is standing firm on a vaccine mandate for healthcare workers that is set to take effect today. In a statement in Rochester last week, she reiterated the impending dismissal of unvaccinated healthcare workers, hinting that guest healthcare workers from other states or nations may be called upon to fill the shortages without regard for how long it might take. Healthcare workers at Strong Memorial Hospital, where the governor made her comments, were swift to tell news media that they were already “strained” and a workforce shortage would only exacerbate the situation. Outside of New York City, mass resignations have already caused hospitals to cut back on medical services. The state Department of Labor has also issued “guidance” indicating those fired for being unvaccinated will not be eligible for unemployment compensation.

The Libertarian Party of New York quickly denounced these measures, citing the government-induced crisis and the impending disruption in health care in New York. Cody Anderson, chair of the Libertarian Party of New York, spoke about the coercive actions of the state.

“Just when we thought the Governor Hochul couldn’t do any worse on public health policy than her predecessor, New York State has been flipped from the frying pan into the fire,” Anderson stated. ”This policy of ‘Trust the science but not the doctors’ will join the long list of farces produced by the government over the past eighteen months. The Department of Health’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is politically motivated, weapons-grade stupidity that has created a crisis where there was not one. They have poised an already understaffed healthcare system on the brink of collapse. When it does collapse, the government will doubtless offer another ham-handed ‘solution’ for the crisis that they alone created. Once again, the blood of New York State residents will be on the Governor’s hands. We demand that Governor Hochul end the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, the mask mandates for school-age children, and all mandates related to COVID-19.

“A keystone of libertarianism are the principles of bodily autonomy and self-ownership - you, and no one else, owns your body,” Anderson continued. “YOU are the only one who can make medical and health decisions on your behalf. YOU are the only one who can consent to putting a foreign substance into your body. Get the vaccination, or don’t. Have your child wear a mask in school, or don’t. Evaluate your risk and do what’s best for you and your family. Good ideas don’t require force, and using the force of government to require individuals to take one action or another is a clear violation of the Libertarian non-aggression principle: that initiating or threatening any forceful interference with an individual or their property is immoral and wrong.”

For more information about the Libertarian Party of New York, please visit lpny.org. You may also visit Facebook at www.facebook.com/LPNYOfficial, Twitter @LPNYOfficial, or Instagram @LPNYOfficial.

Anthony D’Orazio
Libertarian Party of New York
+1 866-336-3120
tdorazio@lpny.org